Through a pandemic and after 45 years, the Cabrillo College Farmers Market continues to thrive, selling the community locally grown healthy, sustainable food.
On a foggy Saturday morning, smiling farmers, families, and friends gather at the weekly farmers market. The Aptos farmers market plays a vital role in supporting our local farmers who depend on it for their businesses to survive.
Farmers hold the market at 6500 Soquel drive in the parking lot, and student activities center at Cabrillo College and is open every Saturday, rain or shine, from 8 a.m. to noon. It is a place for locals to purchase a large selection of organically certified and sustainably grown produce. From pastured grass-fed meats and poultry to fish, eggs, cheese, and flowers, the Aptos Farmers Market has it covered.
Gabriel Begin, who works in partnership with Koda Farms, a small Japanese rice farm from the Central Valley that has been in business for 100 years, said the company has been solid. Begin shared that Koda has been doing well during the pandemic.
“People are home cooking more, which has been good,” and “people scared of the pandemic are stocking up on food, like rice,” said Begin, who added that while the pandemic has been good for Koda Farms, it leaves less left over to sell at the market.
Ken Kimes and Sandra Ward, owners of New Natives farm, grow a wide variety of greens from buckwheat lettuce, micro scallions, sunflower greens to mushrooms. Ward said, “People have gotten really serious about their health and they’re really wanting to buy good locally grown food.”
Dylan Thomas, a former student, came back recently as an instructional assistant with Cabrillo College horticulture, was running a booth, and said the market had been “gangbusters” during the pandemic. “The community really comes out to support Cabrillo, and that we usually sell out of everything every week, so it’s been really good.” He said.
Another stand run by “Kid,” has been at the market for 15 years selling coffee and snacks called Tres Americas has seen some decrease in sales due to the nature of its business and the mask-wearing mandate. It has seen an increase in customers buying beans to brew at home. Kid makes free coffee for all the farmers and brings it around the market first thing in the morning. If coffee is left over, they drop it off at the Santa Cruz non-profit Food Not Bombs.
Catherine Barr, executive director and market manager of the Cabrillo Farmers Market, said, “I’m really grateful to Scott Johnson who is the facilities coordinator at Cabrillo College, who has been really great at keeping us open and to Cabrillo College for keeping us open because, without Cabrillo College, many of these farms would not be here today.”
